Page 16 of Music of the Ocean

Vance laughed. “I heard you. Nap it is. I’ll lower the light for you to fifteen percent and activate a dampening field, so I won’t disturb you. But if you call out, I’ll hear you.”

“Perfect. Thank you.” Saxby noticed the tiny camera in the ceiling that would track his every move as the lights dimmed.

He lifted his hand, flexed it. The medband’s LED glowed. He dug his thumbnail into the edge, half tempted to remove it, but the thought of setting off alarms made him stop.

Instead, he pressed on the tender spot just below his jaw, where the ache was now a red-hot wire running up into his head.

Somewhere in the ship, someone’s laugh echoed, and Saxby ground his teeth. The noise punched through his skull. He wanted to sleep. The cot creaked when he moved, but the pillow was thick and cool.

He closed his eyes.

THE DREAM came on fast, like the flip of a switch. He was under water again. Oh, fuck that. Fuck. That. Nope, he wasn’t doing this bullshit again. Just no. He was tired of all this and just wanted to dream a normal damned dream. Not this. Whatever the hell this was.

Furious, he fought. He was not doing this, damn it. The cold water closed over his head. His mind told him he couldn’t breathe under the water, and his burning lungs backed that up.

He desperately needed to breathe, but he knew if he tried, the ocean would pour into his lungs and drown him. He clamped his jaw shut. But then, that low and steady voice echoed through the black.

Try.

The urge was overwhelming, but his hindbrain was screaming at him all the reasons that he should not just fucking try, namely because he’d drown. He could not breathe under water.

Fuck off! Saxby shouted back.

But the more primitive, instinctual part of him responded to the voice. It always had. Which made absolutely no sense, but neither did trying to breathe under water. Because he couldn’t. Could he? No, no, that was ridiculous. He was human, and humans could not breathe under water.

Try.

Honestly, it no longer mattered how musical the voice sounded, didn’t matter how it called to him. The urge to breathe could no longer be ignored. He opened his mouth.

As soon as he did, there was an insane burning on his neck. It felt like something had raked sharp claws down both sides and opened him up. Fear spiraled through him.

You are safe. No danger will ever come from me. You are mine. Breathe.

Water rushed in, burning cold. Something fluttered on his neck, but instead of choking, his body hungrily swallowed oxygen, sweet and sharp. It flowed through him.

Satisfaction, pride, and something more floated on the surrounding currents. The earlier anger drained out of him, and Saxby felt wonderful. There was a peacefulness he’d never experienced, something he didn’t even know was missing from his life.

The water caressed him, welcoming him, as small alien fish and other sea creatures darted in and out, swimming around him excitedly. He had no idea how he knew they were excited, but he just did. He felt connected. To something.

Through the water, an elongated, highly flexible and muscular appendage approached him. It moved with boneless grace, and he reached his hand out. A tentacle wrapped around his wrist, its suckers latching on softly.

Need exploded through Saxby, and he shuddered as his body responded—but not with fear.

Time to come home, Saxby Delmar. Return to the planet’s surface voluntarily or I will come for you. You are mine.

He woke with a start, clamping a hand to his mouth. His heart jackhammered. For a moment, he swore he could taste saltwater on his lips. What was that? Just what the hell was that?

Time blurred. He wasn’t sure if it was an hour, or three, before Vance came in, looking tired and pissed off.

“You awake?” Vance asked.

“Wide,” Saxby said, voice hoarse.

Vance scrolled through a display, thumb moving fast. “You slept almost eighteen hours.”

“What? I thought you were going to wake me.”

“I did,” Vance said, looking up. “You bitched at me for waking you so you could eat.”